Outside city limits, Jones County’s own permit documents cover two things: an on-site sewage facility (septic) permit, issued through the County’s designated septic representatives for $460 on a home, and plat approval by the Commissioners Court when land is subdivided. The County publishes no building permit for houses or barns. Inside Anson, Stamford, Hamlin, Hawley, Lueders and the Jones County part of Abilene, the city is the place to ask.
What needs a permit in unincorporated Jones County?
The County’s website lists only septic and subdivision documents as permit paperwork. Its septic application states plainly that every on-site sewage facility in the county needs a permit, and TCEQ lists Jones County as the authorized agent for the whole county, the towns included, except the City of Abilene.
County approvals
- Septic permit to construct, followed by a licence to operate after the County’s final inspection
- New permit when the structure, system components or ownership change, where the County requires it
- Plat approval by the Commissioners Court for land divided into two or more parts outside city limits, when at least two parts are 10 acres or smaller
- Culvert or pipe crossing at a private drive entrance onto a subdivision road, unless the precinct commissioner waives it
Not on the County’s list
- Building, electrical, plumbing or mechanical permits for rural homes, barns or shops
- Plats for land given to a relative within the second degree of kinship, which the regulations do not treat as a subdivision
- Any work inside an incorporated city
Who issues permits in each part of Jones County?
County business is run from the Jones County Courthouse, 100 Courthouse Square, Anson. The County Judge’s office (P.O. Box 148, Anson, TX 79501; 325-823-3741, fax 325-823-4223) is the mailing point for septic permits. The County names two designated representatives for on-site sewage facilities: Dena A. Jones, 11288 C.R. 356, Anson (325-370-7272), and Ronald Young, P.O. Box 564, Hawley (325-665-2317).
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →| Area | Who handles building permits |
|---|---|
| Anson (county seat) | City of Anson, City Hall at 1301 Commercial Avenue (325-823-2411, weekdays 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.). Its code adopts the building, plumbing, electrical, gas, mechanical and residential codes, and builders and trades file a Contractors Registration Form and Notice of Production. |
| Stamford (Jones County part) | City of Stamford, City Hall at 201 E. McHarg St. (325-773-2591): building permits $0.45 per sq ft, plumbing and electrical permits $75 each. |
| Hamlin (Jones County part) | City of Hamlin, City Hall at 634 NW 2nd St. (325-576-2711, weekdays 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.); its permitting page sends all permit questions to City Hall. |
| Hawley | City of Hawley, 783 Avenue E (325-537-9528). It requires an excavation permit before a driveway is installed; it publishes no building permit, so ask City Hall. |
| Abilene (Jones County part) | City of Abilene, which issues building, occupancy and zoning permits for the whole city, including its Jones County side. Septic systems there are permitted by the Taylor County Environmental Department (325-674-1393), which TCEQ lists as administering the City’s septic program. |
| Lueders (Jones County part) | The published sources do not say; City Hall is on 325-228-4522. |
| Unincorporated county | No county building permit; County septic permit and plat rules apply. |
Septic permit fees and the septic process
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Residential septic permit application | $450 |
| Commercial septic permit application | $550 |
| TDH research fee, added to each application | $10 |
| Total for a home | $460 |
| Total for a commercial system | $560 |
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →A septic permit is good for one year from the date of issue. If construction has not started by then, a new application and another fee are needed.
The County’s process runs in a fixed order. The owner applies and pays; a site evaluator assesses the lot and sets the system specifications under TCEQ rules; the installer sends the County an Installer Checklist and a plot plan based on that evaluation; and only then is a permit to construct issued. The system must be built exactly to the approved design, and any change has to go to the site evaluator first. After the County’s final inspection, the owner receives a licence to operate at the mailing address on the application.
Anything other than a standard absorption system, such as an aerobic unit, also needs an Affidavit to the Public filed on the property deed before the licence to operate is issued. Installation must be done by a licensed installer, or by the homeowner who lives in the house the system serves.
What the septic application asks for
- Owner’s name, permanent mailing address, phone, email and site address
- Legal description: section, block, lot, subdivision, acreage and survey
- Water source: private well or the name of the public water supplier
- For a home: bedrooms, bathrooms and living area in square feet; for commercial or multi-family use: type, number of occupants or units and days used per week
- Names and licence numbers of the site evaluator, designer (PE or RS) and installer
- Technical sheet: house drain pipe and slope, daily wastewater flow, tank or aerobic unit size, disposal type and area
- Site evaluation and planning materials, without which review is not completed
- Site drawing showing property lines, buildings, easements, pools, water lines, any well within 150 ft, soil borings, slopes, drainage ways and the 100-year flood zone
- Soil evaluation report signed by the site evaluator
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →By signing, the owner gives the County permission to enter the property for the lot evaluation and inspection.
How to get county approvals for a rural Jones County site
Anson, Stamford, Hamlin, Hawley, Lueders and Abilene all reach into the county. Inside them, start at City Hall instead.
The evaluator digs or bores the soil test holes and writes the specifications your system must meet.
Fill in the County application, attach the evaluation and planning materials and pay $460 (home) or $560 (commercial).
Your licensed installer submits the Installer Checklist and plot plan; the County then issues the permit to construct.
Install the system as designed. After the County passes it, the licence to operate is mailed to you.
A new subdivision needs Commissioners Court approval of its plat and bond before development of lots and roads begins.
Subdivision rules in Jones County
The Subdivision Regulations were last revised on December 22, 2008. They apply when a tract outside any city is split into two or more parts and at least two of the parts are 10 acres or less. Lots served by a public water supply and a septic tank need at least half an acre; lots with a septic tank and no water supply need at least one acre. Residential lots of 5 acres or less also fall under the County’s Model Subdivision Requirements for water and wastewater.
Rather not deal with the Jones County building department?
Get a free quote →The plat goes to the County Commissioner of the precinct where the land lies, on an 18 x 20 inch sheet at a scale no smaller than 1 inch to 300 ft, certified by a registered surveyor or engineer, with percolation test results attached. A preliminary plat is due at least 15 working days before the Commissioners Court meeting, and the final plat with a performance bond at least 5 working days before it. Developers have up to two years to finish roads, then post a maintenance bond of $1 per linear foot of road for one year.
Subdivision roads need a 60 ft right-of-way, a 25 ft wide roadway with 8 inches of compacted sub-base and 4 inches of base, and a caliche surface at minimum. Dead-end roads end in a turnaround at least 100 ft across. The County does not maintain any subdivision road until the Commissioners Court accepts it in an open meeting.
Texas building code
Texas has no single statewide building code: state law makes the International Residential Code the base code for homes in cities and the International Building Code the base for commercial buildings, with each city choosing the edition and its own amendments, while the National Electrical Code and the energy code apply statewide. Outside city limits most counties issue no building permits for homes. Texas building code rules
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Jones County official resources
- Jones County, Texas official website
- Jones County septic permit application, revised September 2026 (PDF)
- Jones County septic system designated representatives (PDF)
- Jones County Subdivision Regulations, revised 2008 (PDF)
- Jones County Judge
- Jones County courthouse office phone numbers (PDF)
- City of Anson permit applications
- City of Anson technical and construction codes
- City of Stamford Planning and Development
- City of Stamford building permit application requirements (PDF)
- City of Hamlin permitting
- City of Hawley permits and ordinances
- City of Abilene developers, builders and contractors
- TCEQ on-site sewage facility permits
- Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation
Jones County permit FAQs
Do I need a building permit to build a house in rural Jones County?
The County publishes no building permit for unincorporated land. A house on a septic system still needs the County’s septic permit before the system is installed.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →How much is a septic permit in Jones County?
$460 for a residential system ($450 application plus a $10 research fee) and $560 for a commercial one.
Who do I call about a septic permit in Jones County?
The County’s designated representatives: Dena A. Jones at 325-370-7272 or Ronald Young at 325-665-2317. Mail goes to Jones County, P.O. Box 148, Anson.
Can I install my own septic system?
Only if you live in the home the system serves; otherwise a licensed installer must do it.
How much is a building permit in Stamford?
The City of Stamford charges $0.45 per square foot for a building permit and $75 each for plumbing and electrical permits; review can take a week or more.
Who issues permits in Anson?
The City of Anson, at City Hall, 1301 Commercial Avenue (325-823-2411). Contractors register with the City on its Contractors Registration Form.
Do I need a plat to split my land?
Yes, if the land is outside a city and at least two of the new parts are 10 acres or less, unless the land goes to a close relative.
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More Texas permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Jones County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.